Ben Walters: Akira Kurosawa, the legendary Japanese director, was born 100 years ago today. He's already the subject of a Google doodle, now here's a guide to ten key Kurosawa movies, from classics such as Seven Samurai and Throne of Blood to late greats Ran and Dreams

It is generally easier to decide which directors to include in any top 100 than which film would best represent them. Akira Kurosawa, who died last year, looks likely to remain by far the best-known Japanese director, while others as great or even greater, such as Mikio Naruse, Yasujiro Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi, are known only to cineastes.